18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Observe, here, How Apostle Paul informs us of a truth, which all the writing of philosophers never acquainted us with; namely, the meritorious imputation of Adam’s sin to all his posterity; that all mankind sinned in Adam, and became obnoxious to death, and all other calamities and miseries, as a punishment for their sin.
Yea, the writings of Moses himself, though they declare to us the sin of Adam, and that his sin was punished with death; yet that, by his disobedience, all his race and posterity were involved, and became miserable, is a truth which we are peculiarly beholden to the gospel, and particularly to this text and context, for the more full discover of.
And the account of that matter seems to stand thus: The rebellion of the first man against the great Creator, was a sin of universal efficacy, that derives a guilt and stain to mankind in all ages of the world.
And the account which the scripture gives of it is grounded on the relation which we have to Adam, as the whole race of mankind was virtually in Adam’s loins, so it was presumed to give virtual consent to what he did: When he broke, all his posterity became bankrupts; there being a conspiracy of all the sons of Adam in that rebellion, and not one subject left in his obedience: Add to this, that principle of mankind.
In the first covenant made between God and him, Adam was considered, not as a single person but as a caput gentis; and contracted not for himself only, but for all his descendants, by the ordinary generation: His person was the root and fountain of theirs, and his will the representative of theirs: From hence his numerous issue became a party in the covenant, and had a title to the benefits contained in it upon his obedience, and was liable to the curse upon the violation of it: Upon this ground it is, that the apostle here in this text and context, institutes a parallel between Adam and Christ: That as by the disobedience of the former, many were made sinners: so by the obedience of the latter, many were made righteous.
As Christ in his death did not suffer as a private person, but as a surety and sponsor representing the whole church: in like manner, Adam in his disobedience was esteemed a public person, representing the whole race of mankind: And by a just law it was not restrained to himself, but is the sin of the common nature.
But adored, forever adored, be the wisdom and goodness of Almighty God, in providing a remedy which bears proportion to the cause of our ruin, but as we fell in Adam our representative, so we are raised by Christ the head of our recovery, which two person are considered as causes of contrary effects!
The effects are sin and righteousness, condemnation and justification. For as the disobedience of the first Adam is meritoriously imputed to all his natural posterity and brings death upon all; so the righteousness of the second Adam is meritoriously imputed to all his spiritual progeny to obtain life for them. As the carnal Adam, having lost original righteousness derives a corrupt nature to all that descend from him: so the spiritual Adam, having, by his obedience, purchased grace for us, conveys a vital efficacy unto us.
The same Spirit of holiness which anointed our Redeemer does quicken all his race, that as they have borne the image of the earthly, they may bear the image of the heavenly Adam.